Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a message to farmers through his weekly review. In his regular Sunday post, he reiterated that efforts are being made to pay out another 1.2 billion euros by the end of the year, bringing total payments to 3.7 billion euros, 600 million more than the previous year. He stated that “solutions come through dialogue. Extreme forms of protest, such as blockades, may express pressure, but ultimately make everyone’s daily life difficult and don’t help us move forward faster. The door of the Ministry of Rural Development is and will always be open for discussion with farmers who come in an organized manner, with specific representation and specific demands. After all, we have proven that we support farmers and will continue to support them as much as possible.”
He also referred to the delivery of the final 10 kilometers of the Patras-Pyrgos highway, saying it “closes a pending issue from the distant past and corrects an injustice toward Western Greece,” as well as the method of issuing and controlling building permits. The post also mentioned the first program to address self-harm among young people, which is starting in our country. He also spoke about the “National Strategy for Regional and Local Development that we discussed recently in the meeting of the Government Council for Economic Policy, which includes a complete roadmap with projects being implemented throughout the country and a series of initiatives for convergence and addressing inequalities in the regions.”
He made special mention of justice reforms and the operation of the new Library of the School of Natural Sciences at Aristotle University, in the space of the Biology Department, which had been under occupation for 34 years, stating that “the light of knowledge prevailed over the darkness of violence.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ post
“This was a week of reviews, with music wrapped posts flooding social media and everyone doing their own little assessment somewhere. For us, of course, assessment is a regular Sunday practice: a clear picture of what has progressed and what is being implemented for citizens. We also did our year-end review, following the trend. But let’s see today our weekly wrapped.
I’ll start with agricultural issues. The flow of payments to our farmers from OPEKEPE is normalizing every week, and we’re trying to pay out another 1.2 billion euros by December 31, reaching a total of 3.7 billion euros this year from 3.1 in 2024. They will receive 600 million more this year. I understand the dissatisfaction caused by the delays; however, it was a very difficult exercise, as there was a serious possibility that the distribution of EU resources would be cut off by the European Commission, something we avoided by creating a reliable and fairer system that now bears the EU seal. Honest farmers and livestock breeders, who are the overwhelming majority, have nothing to fear. They will receive all the money they are entitled to in full. However, we must put an end to a problematic subsidy collection system that favored opportunists. Farmers have every right to demand more and better. But solutions come through dialogue. Extreme forms of protest, such as blockades, may express pressure, but ultimately make everyone’s daily life difficult and don’t help us move forward faster. The door of the Ministry of Rural Development is and will always be open for discussion with farmers who come in an organized manner, with specific representation and specific demands. After all, we have proven that we support farmers and will continue to support them as much as possible.
The same effort to solve old problems and make citizens’ daily lives safer and easier is being implemented through major projects being delivered. One of these, the new Patras–Pyrgos highway, is now operational along its entire length. The final 10 kilometers were opened to traffic on Thursday -the delivery of the first 65 kilometers had preceded in July this year- and thus a permanent and urgent demand of Western Greece is being fulfilled. The timeline was maintained, despite significant technical difficulties, thanks to intensive pace and strong coordination of all involved parties. With this road axis, which is critical for passenger and transport safety, as we’re talking about one of Greece’s most dangerous roads until recently, a pending issue from the distant past is closed and an injustice toward Western Greece is corrected. The government delivers projects that respond to real problems of citizens and will continue with the same determination to solve problems.
Of crucial social and economic importance is also the major change we’re bringing to the way building permits are issued and controlled. As I had announced from the podium of this year’s Thessaloniki International Fair, urban planning services -regarding the functions of issuing and controlling building permits, two admittedly problematic areas- will be transferred from municipalities and organically integrated into the newly established National Organization of Land Registry and Building Control (EOKED). For the first time, the country will have a unified public building authority, integrated into an institutionally strong, national-scope organization with geospatial infrastructure and digital tools. This means: same procedure everywhere, less hassle, more transparency and security for citizens and professionals. Municipalities don’t lose their role in local spatial planning, as it remains in their competence. However, we’re finally addressing the fragmentation of the current system, understaffing and large deviations in law implementation, all of which led to permits taking months when they should have been issued much faster. It’s no coincidence that existing building services received some of the lowest ratings among local government services (3.4/10) in the citizen evaluation framework. The proposed bill from the Ministries of Environment and Digital Governance, after approval by the recent Cabinet, will soon be put to public consultation.
I continue with an initiative I consider among the most important starting in our country: the first program to address self-harm among young people. This is a phenomenon that may not be familiar to us, but it exists and we must approach it with seriousness and sensitivity. Research shows that at least one in six teenagers in our country -mainly girls- self-harms, unable to manage unpleasant emotions like sadness, anxiety or anger. A large percentage of young people -over 60%- report knowing someone who self-harms. In cooperation with UNICEF, therefore, the Ministry of Health is creating the Model Community Center for Youth Mental Health, staffed with specialists who provide free prevention, clinical assessment, diagnosis and psychotherapy services. The Self-Harm Response Program doesn’t only concern the teenager. It embraces their entire environment: family, school, health professionals. The goal is to recognize danger signs early and have immediate, safe intervention. I don’t treat this simply as a new policy. I see it as a commitment to transform silence into support and uncertainty into security for young people. We want young people to feel they have support, direction and prospects, not just treatment.
Our children are also affected by the next topic. We’re upgrading the role of Physical Education in the modern school, aiming for a daily school environment that inspires, activates and cares for every student. With the new program from the Ministry of Education, 4,550 schools acquire new, modern and safe sports equipment, ensuring equal participation of children with mobility difficulties. At the same time, champions enter school classrooms and share stories, values and life experiences that cultivate models of effort, resilience and cooperation. The program is also accompanied by educational material on proper nutrition, sleep, stress management, and prevention of harmful habits, to help children build healthy choices in their daily lives.
A mirror for a country’s progress is also care for its citizens with disabilities. And Greece in 2025 can be proud of the steps it has taken in this field. Our most recent initiative, creating a training and certification program for educators for blind people, solves a permanent -and perhaps the most urgent- request from the community of more than 17,000 citizens with serious vision problems. The program starts from early 2026 under the auspices of the Center for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind, aiming to acquire 40 new educators who will cover the educational needs of blind people, minors and adults, throughout the country. This is another significant action within our national strategy for people with disabilities. We know problems aren’t solved overnight. But we commit that, every day, we take another step to provide practical, sustainable solutions, step by step, person by person. To make our vision reality: a Greece with everyone, for everyone.
The same challenge of equality and justice is transferred to the development map, so no area is left behind. The National Strategy for Regional and Local Development that we discussed recently in the meeting of the Government Council for Economic Policy includes a complete roadmap with projects being implemented throughout the country and a series of initiatives for convergence and addressing inequalities in the regions. Already, within the National Strategy framework, 50 Local Development Plans are being prepared in cooperation with local communities and will be completed within 2026, one for each Regional Unit of the country. Today, in the Greek periphery, more than 8,000 small and large projects are being implemented, while in 2026 and 2027 more than 330 emblematic projects will be delivered. To demonstrate the importance of both mountainous areas and island Greece, we decided to establish a Special Secretariat for Mountainous Areas in the Prime Minister’s Office and create a Government Committee for insularity, aiming for more efficient coordination of policies and funding tools. At the same time, a clause for mountainousness, insularity and de-lignification is established in all Ministry policies that critically affect local populations and local economies, aiming to create new, well-paid jobs and real development opportunities for all.
In recent years, Greece has been living through a period of real changes. Reforms that don’t stay on paper but move forward and are implemented. And one of the most important fronts of this effort is Justice. On Thursday we had the opportunity, at a Ministry of Justice event, to “put things down” and see what we’ve achieved. We proceeded with changes to the Civil Procedure Code, merging Magistrates’ Courts and Courts of First Instance and adding 1,000 new judges where there were great needs. We reorganized the arrangement of 113 courts throughout the country, dividing departments into criminal and civil for better flow. And we gave “breathing room” to the Athens system, which was suffocating, creating 4 new regional seats. At the same time, we utilize technology and Artificial Intelligence, offering judges and lawyers tools to process their cases faster. We emphasize alternative dispute resolution, so citizens don’t need years for a solution. At the same time, we invest in new court buildings throughout Greece, improving conditions for those working in Justice and for citizens visiting it. I consider it particularly important that judges and judicial staff didn’t stand against the changes. On the contrary, in their vast majority they supported them. And the results are already showing: first-instance decisions are now issued in about 300 days, approaching the European average. And we’re “stepping on the gas” for the next goal: final decisions to drop to 650 days instead of 1,550 today, a goal we want to become reality by 2027. This isn’t a general promise. It’s a commitment. And I’m optimistic we’ll achieve it.
I’ll close with a “victory” of high symbolism, at least for our country. The light of knowledge prevailed over the darkness of violence. This is signaled by the operation of the new Library of the School of Natural Sciences at Aristotle University, in the space of the Biology Department, which had been under occupation for 34 years. Spaces that belonged to students and society had been turned into no-go zones and launching pads for incidents, from where a few individuals imposed fear and silence on the entire university community. This ended in 2021 and thus not just a piece of university facilities was won, but the fundamental right of the academic community to function freely was restored. In this effort, the State, institutional bodies, the overwhelming majority of students and professors who want an open, creative and safe university contributed. Every time a library opens, the university becomes stronger. And what better gift for Aristotle University celebrating 100 years since its founding this year.
This is how we close this week’s review and move on to the next, always aiming for tangible results. Good morning!”
